Pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes have been known for some time. Such tapes have gained wide acceptance for closing minor wounds or covering abrasions. Microporous or breathable pressure-sensitive surgical tapes have been developed that have been used in conjunction with sutures to close major wounds. (As used herein, the term "wound" includes surgical incisions.) Also, in certain instances the wound is initially closed with sutures or staples that are removed a few days after surgery, and the wound is then held closed with surgical tape. Such a practice allows drainage of the wound and very often improves the cosmetic results of the surgery. Representative examples of breathable pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,908,650; 3,991,754; and 4,302,500.
While surgical wound closure tapes have been greatly improved over the years in that they have been made of microporous materials which will allow the wound to breath and will allow water to escape from the wound and, hence, eliminate maceration of the wound, none of these prior art tapes have gained wide acceptance for being the primary mechanism for closing major wounds. It is believed that to be a primary wound closure tape, the tape should have good and controlled elastic properties; that is, it must have some give or elasticity so that it will move with the tissue surrounding the wound during normal motion of the body but not so much elasticity that it will allow the wound to open during such normal motion. The tape must also drape; that is, it must have excellent conformability to the area to which it is adhered. It is believed that this is also important to maintain good wound closure. The tape should have good abrasion resistance and tear strength. The tape should also be permeable to water vapor; that is, it should be porous and breathable and not cause maceration of the wound area. The tape should have good adhesive strength and not curl at its edges.
It is an object of the invention to provide a wound closure tape that may be used in conjunction with sutures or staples to close wounds and also may be used in some cases (such as in plastic and minor surgery) as a primary closure for a wound. It is a further object of the invention to provide a wound closure tape that has excellent drape and the required controlled elastic recovery. It is a further object of the invention to provide a tape that will not curl at the edges, has excellent tensile and strength properties, and good abrasion resistance. Another object of the invention is to provide a surgical tape that provides excellent comformability to skin contours, that allows flexing and bending of the body (limbs, fingers, etc.) without undue restraint or detachment of the tape while maintaining accurate approximation of the wound margins. Still another object of the invention is to provide a tape that can be manufactured easily and economically. Other objects of the invention will be readily apparent from the ensuing description and claims.